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| Bombshell book describes the incompetence. |
We have economic uncertainty due to an instigated trade war. We have name brand companies and small businesses shuttering. We have a coin shortage in the country. We have rising costs in necessities. We have a housing crisis where people laid off or sick from the coronavirus unable to pay mortgages or rent. We have people who are paying hefty medical bills for visit to the emergency room.
We have massive climate change in the country. Not only the coronavirus, but wildfires in the Pacific states of California, Oregon, Washington and Nevada. There are wildfires in the Southeastern states like Tennessee, Kentucky and Louisiana. We have pollen counts rising in the Midwest. There is fierce snowstorms in Colorado. We had four hurricanes strike the United States and Puerto Rico. We have tornadoes hit the United States. We had massive flooding and derechos in Iowa, Illinois and Missouri.
We have civil unrest in the United States. It has became a catalyst of unrest due to the shootings of unarmed people of color. There is unrest in Portland, Oregon, Chicago, Washington, DC and Kenosha, Wisconsin. So many things happening in real time and the current president is trying his best ot pin the blame of the world's problems on Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. And when that fails, he's going back to blaming Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.
Donald J. Trump was recorded by The Washington Post veteran reporter Bob Woodward for a book detailing his chaotic presidency. The revalations that Trump knew the dangers of the coronavirus earlier than most thought. He told Woodward that he didn't want to panic Americans and he wanted to make sure his trade deal was success.
Rage is a forthcoming 2020 book by Woodward about Trump's disgraceful legacy. The book is the sequel to his 2018 book Fear: Trump in the White House. It is due to be published on 15 September 2020 by Simon & Schuster.
As with its predecessor, Fear, the title of the book is derived from a conversation that Woodward had with Trump in March 2016. Woodward contended that 'a lot of angst and rage and distress' was present in the Republican Party to which Trump replied that "I bring rage out. I do bring rage out. I always have... I don't know if that's an asset or a liability, but whatever it is, I do. I also bring great unity out, ultimately. I've had many occasions like this, where people have hated me more than any human being they've ever met. And after it's all over, they end up being my friends. And I see that happening here".
Woodward interviewed Trump several times in research for the book. Simon & Schuster stated that the book is the result of "hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses, as well as participants' notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents".
In an interview with Woodward, Trump details the coronavirus was airborne and had a deadlier impact on people.
"This is deadly stuff," Trump told Woodward on February 7.
In a series of interviews with Woodward, Trump revealed that he had a surprising level of detail about the threat of the virus earlier than previously known. "Pretty amazing," Trump told Woodward, adding that the coronavirus was maybe five times "more deadly" than the flu.
Trump's admissions are in stark contrast to his frequent public comments at the time insisting that the virus was "going to disappear" and "all work out fine."
The book, using Trump's own words, depicts a President who has betrayed the public trust and the most fundamental responsibilities of his office. In "Rage," Trump says the job of a president is "to keep our country safe." But in early February, Trump told Woodward he knew how deadly the virus was, and in March, admitted he kept that knowledge hidden from the public.
"I wanted to always play it down," Trump told Woodward on March 19, even as he had declared a national emergency over the virus days earlier. "I still like playing it down, because I don't want to create a panic."
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| Bob Woodward got authorization to call The White House. According the far-right, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told Trump to talk to journalist. |
The book also contains harsh evaluations of the President's leadership on the virus from current officials.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the administration's top infectious disease expert, is quoted telling others Trump's leadership was "rudderless" and that his "attention span is like a minus number."
"His sole purpose is to get reelected," Fauci told an associate, according to Woodward.
Fauci responded to the quotes in a Fox News interview on Wednesday, saying he would question the account.
"If you notice, others have said that. You know, you should ask others. I don't recall that at all," Fauci said, adding that he "didn't get any sense" Trump was distorting things.
Trump responded to the Woodward book at a White House event Wednesday afternoon, defending his response to the pandemic and confirming he did not want to create a panic.
"Well, I think if you said in order to reduce panic, perhaps that's so," Trump said. "The fact is I'm a cheerleader for this country. I love our country. And I don't want people to be frightened. I don't want to create panic, as you say, and certainly I'm not going to drive this country or the world into a frenzy. We want to show confidence. We want to show strength."
Woodward reveals new details on the early warnings Trump received -- and often ignored.
In a January 28 top secret intelligence briefing, national security adviser Robert O'Brien gave Trump a "jarring" warning about the virus, telling the President it would be the "biggest national security threat" of his presidency. Trump's head "popped up," Woodward writes.
O'Brien's deputy, Matt Pottinger, concurred, telling Trump it could be as bad as the influenza pandemic of 1918, which killed an estimated 50 million people worldwide, including 675,000 Americans. Pottinger warned Trump that asymptomatic spread was occurring in China: He had been told 50% of those infected showed no symptoms.
At that time, there were fewer than a dozen reported coronavirus cases in the US.
Three days later, Trump announced restrictions on travel from China, a move suggested by his national security team -- despite Trump's later claims that he alone backed the travel limitations.
Nevertheless, Trump continued to publicly downplay the danger of the virus. February was a lost month. Woodward views this as a damning missed opportunity for Trump to reset "the leadership clock" after he was told this was a "once-in-a-lifetime health emergency."
As usual Republicans are saying that they didn't know about the comments.
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